


we only go backwards, darling

by anserpina



Series: magic all around us [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Jealous Keith (Voltron), Light Angst, M/M, Mild Language, Miscommunication, Pining Keith (Voltron), Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-05
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-07-07 08:33:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15904695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anserpina/pseuds/anserpina
Summary: Keith could feel Lance’s breath as he whispered against his ear. He pointedly ignored the way his own breathing stuttered. “Want to see what I’ve been up to?”His smile held mischief, but it also the promise of answers. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for the pair to skip a lesson or two, and he was sure whatever Lance was about to show him would be leagues better than brewing up some hair growth potion. He picked up his discarded bag and wrapped his hand around the other boy’s own, yanking him even closer. “You know it,” he replied.or: Lance keeps disappearing and reappearing at random and Keith is determined to find out why.// Written for Klance Month 2018 //





	we only go backwards, darling

**Author's Note:**

> (shrug emoji) sometimes things have to get worse before they get better.
> 
> for your convenience: a list of everyone’s houses and years! and i promise, every character on this list is guaranteed to appear in the series at some point.
> 
> Keith: Gryffindor, third year  
> Lance: Gryffindor, third year  
> Shiro: Gryffindor, seventh year  
> Veronica: Gryffindor, seventh year  
> Pidge: Slytherin, third year  
> Allura: Ravenclaw, fifth year  
> Hunk: Ravenclaw, third year  
> Rachel: Ravenclaw, fifth year  
> Adam: Ravenclaw, seventh year  
> Romelle: Hufflepuff, fifth year  
> Matt: Hufflepuff, sixth year
> 
> Marco and Luis McClain are graduates and off doing their own thing. Marco McClain was in Gryffindor, while Luis followed in his dad’s footsteps and was in Hufflepuff.

Keith had seen a lot of weird things in the three years since he had arrived at Hogwarts. Creatures like dragons, centaurs and werewolves all seemed mythical when he was a child, things made up by fantasy writers to enthrall their readers. But they were real- or at least, his professors told him they were real. He wasn’t about to go wandering through the Forbidden Forest just to find a centaur (though Lance had tempted him with the idea many, many times). Even ghosts, the souls of past witches and wizards _ ,  _ meandered through the halls of their school, cementing the lesson he had learned upon arrival: the things that muggles had struggled to explain for centuries were absolutely ordinary to those who possessed magic.

 

Despite that, he couldn’t seem to find anything in his textbooks that explained how Lance kept mysteriously appearing in spots he hadn’t been in before.

 

It was happening almost daily now. About three weeks ago, he had sat down at the Gryffindor table for breakfast next Shiro and one of his classmates. He peered at the Hufflepuffs across from him, searching for the familiar ruffled brown hair of his best friend shoved next to Romelle or Matt. He listened for his overly loud and cheerful laugh amongst the Ravenclaws as he flirted with Allura for the billionth time. After five minutes or so, he had strolled past the Slytherin table, expecting to find Lance drawing on Pidge’s arm as she slept next to her uneaten blueberry muffin. There was no sign of him anywhere, so Keith accepted he’d be talking about Quidditch drills with his brother over his oatmeal instead.

 

There had been two empty seats when he had gotten up- his own, and the one next his, which he had saved just incase Lance had decided to wake up at some point and drag himself to breakfast. As he walked back from the Slytherin table, he found that only one was open: his own. The other had been occupied by a fresh faced Gryffindor boy with bright blue eyes, a fork already lifted halfway to his mouth.

 

“Wh- when did you get here?” Keith asked. He tried not to let the confusion show on his face, but he had been facing the door the entire time and definitely hadn’t seen the other boy sneak in. 

 

Lance swallowed and shoved his fork back into his pie. “Dude, we got here at the same time.”

 

They most certainly had  _ not _ . “No we didn’t!” 

 

“Yeah we did. You and Shiro started talking about Quidditch while I dug into this amazing butternut pie,” he answered, completely unaware of the question marks floating around in his friend’s head.

 

And Keith… he really wasn’t sure, then, what he had seen. He had simply shrugged, writing it off as a hallucination caused by one too many hits to the head by a rogue bludger. But when he turns to his left in Potions a few weeks later and sees Lance sitting on the stool next to him- when he had  _ definitely not been there before _ \- he starts to investigate.

 

He marched up to Shiro, lounging by the fire in the common room, one foot over the arm of the couch and asked, “Do you think Lance is a ghost?”

 

Shiro pursed his lips and stared at him for a few seconds. “No, he can’t be,” he decided. “I’ve seen people actually walk through Nearly Headless Nick- which he doesn’t appreciate, just so you know- and yesterday Lance bumped into me so hard at practice that I almost fell off my broom.”

 

Keith sighed, slumping to the floor next to the couch. “Then I don’t know what’s going on,” he grumbled. Everytime Lance miraculously appeared next to him, he got more and more confused and at this point he was halfway convinced that he was imagining things. “I’ll be sitting at our table in Potions, or walking towards the field, and poof, he just appears! Out of thin air!” He threw his hands up exasperatedly and leaned his head back against the couch cushion. “And I can’t figure out how he does it.”

 

Shiro let his arm rest on top of his little brother’s head as he fired off suggestions. “Transfiguration? Maybe he’s turning into an animal too small for you to see?”

 

“No, he hasn’t been able to turn into anything else. He can turn my textbook into a snapping turtle but he can’t really transform himself yet.”

 

“Hmm… do you think he’s learned how to apparate?” 

 

Keith frowned. “Wouldn’t the Headmistress know if he had been apparating? I thought they kept tabs on that when students tried it.”

 

Shiro nodded. “Yeah, I guess he can’t be doing that either.”

 

“What about an invisibility cloak?” Keith asked. His voice turned hopeful as he searched for an answer. “I know for a fact that Veronica had one! Maybe she passed it onto Lance now that you guys are graduating and-”

 

“And,” Shiro interrupted. “I know for a fact that she still has that ratty old thing hidden in her trunk. I caught her using it two days ago to sneak into the kitchens for ice cream.” He scrunched his nose, the faded pink scar that rested there furrowing as well. “Plus, it’s all full of holes- that’s how I caught her, she was almost entirely visible. It wouldn’t work even if she gave it to Lance.”

 

“Damn it!” Frustrated, Keith banged his hand on the red carpeting. He laid on the floor on his side and stared into the fire as the flames flickered higher and higher. “I’ve got nothing.”

 

Shiro chuckled at the fourteen year old’s irritation. “Alright. So what are you going to do about it?”

 

He kept his eyes trained on the fire and shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll have to try to keep my eyes on Lance, I guess.” At his response, the older boy laughed. Keith whipped around to stare at him, his eyes narrowed. “What’s so funny about that?”

 

“Try,” he teased. “As if you don’t stare at Lance every chance you get.”

 

Keith’s eyes widened. He huffed at Takashi’s small chuckles and crossed his arms stubbornly. “I don’t stare at Lance,” he retorted. “He’s just always  _ there _ . In my… line of vision.” His defense petered out at the smug smirk on his brother’s face.

 

“Oh yeah?” he replied. “And I suppose that’s why the Snitch was able to fly right past you during the Hufflepuff match, huh? Lance, floating behind you, just got in your ‘line of vision.’”

 

“I- He just- listen,” Keith stammered. “That’s not the point.” He squinted at Shiro as the older boy grinned at him. “The point is that Lance is up to something. And I’m going to find out what it is.”

 

* * *

 

 

It’s another two weeks before Keith finally, truly snaps. When he turns around to throw his bag on the empty chair next to him and ends up smacking Lance in the arm, he completely and totally loses it. “Alright! What  _ gives _ , McClain?” He ignored Lance’s stunned look and barreled on, too worked up to lower his voice. “One second you’re not here, then suddenly you are, and then you’re  _ gone _ again. Just- what- how are you doing that?” He whispers the last question almost reverently, like Lance has discovered some mystical secret of the universe and was hiding it from everyone, including his best friend.

 

The other boy groaned and rested his head in his hands. He looked at Keith, his bright blue eyes peeking through delicate fingers. “You noticed that, huh?” He lifted his head and grinned sheepishly. “I thought I was being so careful, too. I should have known nothing gets past you.”

 

Shiro’s teasing smile flashed in Keith’s head at his words. He felt heat rise to his cheeks- he really  _ did _ seem to fixate on Lance’s habits. He pushed the thought away and smiled, resting one hand on Lance’s shoulder reassuringly. “You’re not exactly hard to miss.”

 

He grinned wider at Keith’s response and looked around hesitantly. He seemed satisfied by the nearly empty classroom and leaned in close. Keith could feel Lance’s breath as he whispered against his ear and he pointedly ignored the way his own breathing stuttered. “Want to see what I’ve been up to?”   
  
His smile held mischief, but it also the promise of answers. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for the pair to skip a lesson or two, and he was sure whatever Lance was about to show him would be leagues better than brewing up some hair growth potion. He picked up his discarded bag and wrapped his hand around the other boy’s own, yanking him even closer. “You know it,” he replied.   
  


They all but ran out of the room, climbing the dimly lit stone staircase towards the main floor two steps at a time. “Alright, let’s see… Where were you at noon?”

 

He racked his brain, trying to pull up the memory. “I think I was on the field.” He had snuck out to get some solo practice before the upcoming game the following day. 

 

“Oh, right. I ran into you out there after Herbology, I totally forgot. Cool,” he reached for Keith’s hand, locking theirs together as he pulled them towards the field. Lance stopped abruptly as they neared the gate and yanked Keith behind the viewer’s stands. 

 

“What, uh… what are we doing?” He watched as Lance pulled a long golden chain from around his neck and wrapped it around them both. He spun the charm at the end of the chain- a little globe- four times. The stands began to blur around them, and Keith watched curiously as other students and staff passed them by. They were walking away from the field but were also facing the field, almost like they were going in reverse.

 

“We’re going on a little trip down memory lane,” Lance replied. “Specifically to four hours ago, when you were running drills.” 

 

The stands stopped blurring. All the people they had seen pass were now gone; or rather, they hadn’t arrived yet. Lance slowly walked out from behind the stands and Keith followed, nearly falling backwards onto the grass when he saw  _ himself _ floating ten feet in the air in front of them.

 

“What the fuck,” he muttered. “No, seriously. What the fuck am I looking at, Lance?”

 

He laughed as he stuck the chain back down his shirt. “I told you. You’re looking at yourself.” They watched as past-Keith dropped into a nosedive on his broom, gaining speed before pulling up at just the last second. “Woah. Nice moves, Red.” 

 

Present Keith began to walk closer to the field and was immediately yanked back by his robes. A hand came up to muffle his shout of surprise and he turned to find Lance pressed against his back, glaring at him. “No way, none of that!” He peeked around the stand at past-Keith still running drills, unaware of them, before he spoke again. “We need to find a hiding spot. Somewhere that no one will see us- and I mean absolutely  _ no one _ , that part is important, Keith.”

 

He pulled on Lance’s sleeve impatiently. “I know where we can go,” he whispered.

 

He led them to an alcove under the slytherin stand post. They could still see the field, but the thick tapestry covered them completely, hiding them from sight. “I’m interested to hear how you found this spot.” Lance arched an eyebrow at the gryffindor Seeker expectantly. 

 

“No comment.” He ignored the chuckle from his friend, choosing instead to ask the question he had been waiting to ask. “Is this why you’ve been disappearing? You’re… time jumping?”

 

“Yep.” His goofy grin melted of his face and he bit his lip nervously. “I’ve been doing it all semester, actually. I took an extra class- Medical Healing- and it’s at the same time as Potions.” Lance shrugged his shoulders and looked out at the field where Keith was still hovering. “They gave me this,” he said, pointing to the charm, “so I’d be able to do both.”

 

“Okay,” Present Keith replied. “Why?”

 

Lance looked at him, confused. “So I can be a Healer after I graduate.”

 

Keith waved that off. “No, no, I know that. I mean… why didn’t you tell me?”

 

He grinned at that, but this time, it was more pleading than anything. “Oh man,” he whispered. “I wanted to! Believe me, I wanted to tell you so badly. But they have all these laws surrounding time travel. One of which banned me from saying anything to  _ anyone _ , including you.” He grinned happily and laughed, one hand coming up to rest on Keith’s shoulder. “But you guessed! You noticed it, and they didn’t say anything about me tipping you off if you had already guessed.”

 

He was about to respond to Lance’s loophole when past-Keith flew towards the ground, landing with a thud on the pitcher’s mound. They both scrambled back against the wooden pillars, ducking their heads and hiding from his sight. Past-Keith began to walk towards the gate when a familiar voice rang out across the field. 

 

“Fancy finding you out here, Red!” He called out the nickname that he had given Keith the day he had become Gryffindor’s Seeker and pulled on the red and gold uniform, fondness painting his voice. They heard past-Lance laugh as he approached his teammate. “Done already?”

 

There was a beat of silence before past-Keith spoke. “Yeah, I’m just about to head to Divination.” Another pause, more tense than the first, and then past-Keith spoke again. “Hey Allura. Coming to watch Lance practice?” 

 

The Ravenclaw girl laughed, the sound light and cheerful. “Nope! I’m actually here to crush his spirit. You know, character building. We’ll see how he holds up against me.”

 

Present-Keith felt his cheeks burn. He remembered this all too well, recalled the searing spike of jealousy that had reared its ugly head as she had laughed. “Ah, well. Have fun, you two,” he heard himself say. They were all silent as he walked away, the awkwardness of their interaction setting in. They watched as Lance and Allura walked towards the pitcher’s mound, close enough to be heard but far enough away that Present Keith and Lance couldn’t be seen from their hiding spot.

 

“I wish you two would stop dancing around each other like that,” Allura said. She picked up her broom and walked closer towards past-Lance.

 

“Oh no,” present-Lance whispered. His eyes were wide as he watched the fifth year girl speak, her hand coming up to rest on his arm. “Oh no, we have to leave right now,  _ immediately _ .” 

 

The hot bubble of jealousy swelled up again, and Keith stubbornly leapt back. “No. I want to hear more,” he hissed. He wasn’t trying to spy on them, but seeing Lance cozying up to Allura fueled his bitterness and kept him rooted to the spot. Present-Lance ignored him and rushed to pull out the charm. He kept glancing at Past Lance and Allura regretfully as the two of them spoke.

 

“We’re not,” past-Lance said. He sounded exhausted, like he had already had this conversation before. “I’m dancing around him. He’s standing still.”

 

Allura sighed. She patted past-Lance’s arm reassuringly before she swung her arm back to hit his bicep. He yelped and glared as she rolled her eyes. “You’re both so dense. You really are gryffindor boys.”

 

Past-Lance gasped in fake anger, just as Present-Lance threw the charm around both of their shoulders. “I will have you know that I was almost in Ravenclaw,” he retorted.

 

Allura snorted. “Yeah.  _ Almost. _ ” She smiled, her eyes twinkling teasingly as she ruffled his hair. “Maybe the sorting hat was trying to play matchmaker with you and Keith.”

 

_ Huh? _ Present-Keith let her words sink in as Present-Lance spun the time turner four times in the opposite direction.  The scene began to blur, reflecting the mess inside his own head. What had Allura meant by that? She couldn’t have been talking about herself: she had said his name, so clearly that he felt like he had been standing right beside her. But there was no way... Lance didn’t… he couldn’t have felt the same way as Keith.

 

As soon as the blur faded away, Lance ripped the chain from around their necks. He stuck the time turner back under his shirt and laughed awkwardly, trying to clear the air. “So, now you know my secret.” 

 

Keith’s heart rate jumped. “Yeah...you know, it’s not really a big deal.”

 

He shrugged. “It kind of is. It’s not everyday you get to play around with time.” He chuckled lightly. “I was surprised they trusted me with it, honestly.”

 

The realization of what Lance’s “secret” was hit him harder than any bludger ever had. Of course… It was ridiculous to think that Lance, who spent all his free time hanging around Allura… Keith was foolish to think he would ever feel the same way. He carefully hid the disappointment from his face and wiped his sweaty palms on his robes discreetly. “I’m not,” he replied. “You’re the most trustworthy person I know.”

 

Lance grinned. “Except for Shiro, right?”

 

Keith nodded and began to walk back towards the castle. “Except for Shiro,” he confirmed. He heard footsteps behind him, indicating Lance was following him as he walked away from the field, and took a deep breath. “So,” he started. “That’s your only secret?”

 

He wasn’t brave enough to ask Lance outright. Not now, not when confessing his own feelings could break the friendship they had built over the last three years. He couldn’t risk that. That was the downside about letting people get close. It made losing them hurt more. And he couldn’t do that with Lance. 

 

He heard the footsteps behind him falter and then come to a stop. He turned around, facing Lance. The other boy tilted his head, the sunlight highlighting the freckles dusted across his nose and cheekbones, which was kind of unfair. He looked more beautiful than ever in the orange glow of sunset, his dark skin glowing and making Keith’s palms sweat again. 

 

Lance was still staring, his eyes distant. He seemed to stand straighter, shoulders squared as he spoke. “That’s the only secret,” he affirmed.

 

Keith hadn’t realized that he was hoping for a different answer until he felt the heavy blow of his words. He pushed past the sinking feeling in his stomach and forced a smile, attempting to make it as normal as possible. “That’s good,” he said. “No secrets between us anymore, then.”

 

There was a brief pause in which Lance looked like he was debating something with himself, his eyes settling on the ground briefly. When he looked up, he smiled, soft and sweet like he normally did. “None,” he replied.

 

The walk back to the school was quieter than usual, lacking the teasing banter that the normally traded back and forth, both of them lost in their own thoughts. They walked through the open doors and separated, Keith heading to meet Shiro and Lance running off to his last lesson. Keith felt heavier than he had before he had walked out of the front doors, confusion and disappoint seeping into his bones. 

 

He had gotten the answers that he had wanted- and maybe he had gotten more than he was prepared for.

**Author's Note:**

> don’t throw things at me, i promised you a love story and you’ll get a love story.


End file.
